弹夹 (dàn jiá) — magazine (of a firearm), clip

Definition

noun

magazine (of a firearm)clip

Measure word · 个

弹夹。
Tā xùn sù huàn le yí gè xīn dàn jiá.
He quickly swapped in a new magazine.
弹夹。
Qiāng lǐ de dàn jiá yǐ jīng kōng le.
The magazine in the gun is already empty.
弹夹。
Shì bīng jiǎn chá le dàn jiá lǐ de zǐ dàn shù liàng.
The soldier checked the number of rounds in the magazine.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

弹 means bullet and 夹 means clip or holder; together they name a device that holds bullets.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 彈; 弹 is its simplified writing.

弓單彈

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

單

單dān彈tán

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 彈 pairs 弓 (bow) with the sound part 單; the simplified 弹 is a shorthand.

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 夾; 夹 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 夾 draws a person with two people beside or under the arms, giving the idea of holding or sandwiching between sides.

Appears in